5-12-09
Hey there all you asphalt critters, time for another quick blurb about whats been shaking down lately. Things looked a little bleak for Harley this first quarter as world wide sales dropped 12% vs last years first quarter. In addition to that, they also are looking to ship 10 -13% less bike this year so the dealer floors might just have a little more room on them this year. Even parts & accessories for Harley are down as much as 7% for 2009. (www.motosportsbusiness.com)
After a good sucker punch in round one of 2009 Haulen Ass is putting its mouth gaurd back in and charging into round two. Drawings are done for the 2009 Tour Pak Wall Mount and just moving to the Proto-Type stage so we hope to have that ready for you soon... by now your wifes have to be good and ticked that the Tour Pak gets the guest bedroom while your mother in law sleeps on the couch when she visits.
After getting some helpful photos of the Yamaha Classic we are in a good position to start moving forward with that project. What a patient group they have been.
That'll do for now. Check us out on www.myspace.com/haulenass or look up Haulen Ass on Facebook.
4-22-09
Wow two news flashes in one month. Stuff is brewing here at Haulen Ass. We are starting to cook up the new 2009 Touring Tour Pak Wall Mount designs. I hope to see them available in a month but dont quote me on that. Also to help stay a float in hard times we are looking to expand our totally sweet backrests into the Metric world. As of now we are considering the Yamaha Classic & Custom. Not quite sure if they will follow the Harley Backrest design or the Victory design.
In addition to all this great stuff we are going to be doing a sweet photo shoot next week to keep us updated & add a little more style. Girls, Bikes, Haulen Ass. It's a beautiful thing. Keep checking back for those photos.
4-13-09
Some Random News
Ok so about two months later here we are, the Haulen Ass Black Powder Coat Backrests are now available and being showcased in American Iron, American Cycle, & Iron Works. If you've seen anything Haulen Ass in the last month or so then you've certainly seen at least A photo of them. These things are sharp as hell and we are damn proud of them. The gloss is like non other and looks like the backrest was dunked in water and the water never ran off. Beautiful is the only word to describe them. By months end we are looking to release our new Inspection Sticker Plates which help keep the fork tubes nice and clean, a nice simple little touch. These will also be available in our High Gloss Black as well as Chrome and you even get to choose between 3"x3" or 3"x4". We will also be releasing our new Victory Vegas Low Profile Quick Detachable Backrest. We will have photos soon of the sweet set up in its chrome option and Black Powder version. Stay tuned for more details...

2-20-09
Quick Recall From HD on Dyna's

DECEMBER 2008 -- Harley-Davidson is recalling 3,285 MY 2009 FXD, FXDF, FXDC, FXDL, and FXDB motorcycles. The jiffy stand spring anchor may have been built with a defective weld that may allow the jiffy stand assembly to not retract as intended. This condition could lead to a crash which could cause injury or death to the rider. Dealers will remove the original jiffy stand spring anchor and replace it with a new spring anchor free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during January 2009. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson at 1-414-342-4680. 08V-659

NOVEMBER 2008 -- Harley-Davidson is recalling 349 MY 2009 FXDB, FXDC, FXDF, and FXDL motorcycles. These motorcycles have a fuel tank vent tube assembly, Part No. 27389-04A, which may have been produced with a questionable ultrasonic weld on the anti-slosh valve. If the valve separates and the bike is tipped over, it may leak fuel. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire. Dealers will inspect the fuel vent tube assembly and, if necessary, replace it. The recall is expected to begin during December 2008. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson at 1-414-343-4056. 08V-625

You Should receive a letter or call about this but just incase you didn't, Don't want ya getting stood up straight in the middle of a nice lefty.


2-5-09
Harley soars after Buffett buys half of $600m debt offering Warren Buffett has given Harley-Davidson a vote of confidence by buying half of a $600m debt offering by the hard-pressed motorcycle maker. The move by one of the world's most respected investors drove Harley's shares up 15.8 per cent to $13.73 by the close of trading in New York yesterday. Neither investor was available for comment yesterday. Harley is the latest in a string of investments by Berkshire Hathaway, Mr Buffett's holding company, which has been seeking to capitalise on the financial crisis by aligning itself with some the world's most successful brand-name companies. These include General Electric, Goldman Sachs and Mars, the confectionery manufacturer. The notes, which pay 15 per cent interest, were issued as part of a drive by Harley to strengthen the funding of Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS), which finances its dealers and retail motorcycle buyers. This financing arm has been hit by rising credit losses and limited access to capital markets. The unit swung to a fourth-quarter operating loss of $24.9m from earnings of $38.6m a year earlier, and receivables held for sale have tripled to $2.4bn over the past year. Moody's yesterday lowered the financing arm's credit rating from A1 to A2, saying that "the downturn in the US economy, the erosion in consumer confidence and the contracting availability of credit are weakening the sales of Harley motorcycles, which are highly discretionary". The debt issue will relieve the immediate pressure on HDFS, but the unit "still needs securitisation markets to improve or alternative options will have to be pursued", according to Robin Farley, analyst at UBS. Ms Farley estimates that the notes' high interest rate will cut Harley's 2009 earnings by 18 cents a share

Author(s):	Justin Baer, Bernard Simon
Document types:	News
Section:	COMPANIES - INTERNATIONAL
Publication title:	Financial Times. London (UK): Feb 4, 2009. pg. 14
Edition:	USA 2ND EDITION
Source type:	Newspaper

2-4-09
Check out how you can help Harley Davidson & actually get recognized for your contribution. Express your connection to Harley-Davidson through the creation of a stainless steel rivet customized with your name and a statement all your own. Your rivet will be displayed on either a curved steel wall or a special plaza on the grounds of the Harley-Davidson Museum. These walls and plazas will display thousands of stories, experiences and connections among Harley-Davidson riders, dealers and friends. Just visit www.harley-davidson.com and check it out. Be a part of "Living The Legend".



2-3-09
Well Spring is on the horizon and most of us are finally warming up after a bitter cold winter (most likely brought on by global warming). We've received the powder coat samples and they didn't quite meet our standards (yes we have high standards) so we are still sampling other painters. In the meantime we have also come out with a Touring Backrest and a Windshield Wall Mount for FXD Quick Release Detachable Shields. Check out the pictures below and as always if you have any questions drop us an email or even call.